The Board of Education and Superintendent Kevin Case will hold a series of community conversations beginning April 1 to help inform the future of elementary education in Norfolk. Additional conversations will be held on April 22 and May 20. All are from 7 to 9 p.m. at Botelle School. The project grew out of discussion about the mission and vision statement for the school district and will be facilitated by Deene Morris, a leadership coach who works with schools and community organizations. Case will participate, along with Board Chair John DeShazo and members Donna Rubin and Jeremy Withnell. The final list of participants was to be approved at the March 31 board meeting, but will include teachers, staff and members of the Norfolk community, including parents. “Through conversation and listening, we hope to reflect on the strengths of the school, explore how our values shape student learning and consider priorities that may help guide the school in the years ahead,” Case wrote in a letter of invitation.

Botelle expects to enroll 58 students in the next school year, an increase of three over the current year with a proposed budget of $2,658,868. Prior to Case’s arrival a year ago, former First Selectman Matt Riiska had attempted to restart conversations with neighboring Colebrook about deeper collaborations between the two districts. That effort foundered, but the topic of declining school populations is ever present in Northwest Connecticut. The neighboring Region 1 School District, which includes North Canaan, recently authorized School Superintendent Melony Brady-Shanley to begin looking at ways to reorganize or consolidate its six K-8 elementary schools.